Philosophy Midterm Exam
Dualists believe that the brain, body, and mind are two different things and one can never be made up of the other but they may interact. To properly mitigate this difference, dualists analyzed the mind-body problem. All living things have thoughts and ideas that create different realities leading to dualism. This is however not a cause for concern as such thoughts and ideas in the mind can be altered to improve the mental state of affected people and this paper proves that dualism about the mind is not a false statement.
The patient’s name is Ingrid Kruiter, 40 years of age, living in the United States but originally from the Netherlands. She works as a secretary at a psychiatric institution and has been there for more than a decade. She has never been married, no children and has been a victim of domestic violence. Ingrid entered my practice claiming that dualism about the mind is false. From the patient’s view, this is bad news because it seems she is suffering from mind-body problems. Dualists explain mind-body problems as the inability to understand how the mind relates to their physical body or brain (Cerulo 90). Ingrid worked at a psychiatric institution for over 10 years thus is at a higher risk of being affected by this prevalent problem. Additionally, being a victim of domestic violence, it may trigger psychological traumas in the brain and body when the mind perceives it.
There is no cause for concern since Ingrid is required to understand that subjective and objective realities are different. A mind-body problem leads to the creation of two realities (objective and subjective). Dualists believe that all actions are based on the philosophy of the mind. As noted earlier, all living things have thoughts and ideas communicated to the body by the brain. Therefore, proving that Ingrid’s view is mistaken requires appealing to her subconscious mind matter to change her reasoning. According to Cerulo (81), the mind tells us what to think, feel, and experience. It is imperative to note that the feelings that Ingrid is experiencing originate from her mind and her thinking influenced by her circumstances. Specifically, her emotions led to a mental breakdown and she may have created more than one reality in her mind.
Ingrid’s claim that dualism of the mind is wrong stems from her creating multiple realities. She had several bad experiences that affected her subconscious mind ultimately affecting her thought process (mind over matter). When Ingrid lost her free will, her realities changed. There exists a connection between the mind, brain, and body. As stated by Hasker (62), the mind seems to be different from the body or brain. Ingrid has several realities created by her experiences in relationships and her workplace. Unfortunately, this can be confusing and if not addressed properly by a health professional, it can be problematic. Under dualism, Ingrid’s thoughts and ideas dictate her realities; however, they can be altered to ensure that she is control of her mind and not a victim of her circumstances.
The therapist is right in this case study. Different mental states can be caused by daily thoughts. As such, people will behave based on their thoughts and this eventually creates a reality. Unlike Ingrid’s case, this means that people do not have to be physically harmed to have mental breakdowns as all it takes are negative thoughts and behavior. As such, this shows the existence of numerous arguments for and against dualism causing biased feelings.
Conclusion
The mind-body problem created by dualists affects people differently. As evidenced above, the mind functions separately from the body and brain. From the case study, Ingrid’s reality can be altered by changing her thought process. Therefore, there is no cause for concern, and dualism about the mind is not wrong.
Works Cited
Cerulo, Karen A. “Embodied Cognition: Sociology’s Role in Bridging Mind, Brain and Body.” The Oxford Handbook of Cognitive Sociology (2019): 81-100.
Hasker, William. “The Case for Emergent Dualism.” The Blackwell Companion to Substance Dualism (2018): 62.